BT super fast broadband

BT has confirmed it plans to spend £1.5 billion (E1.83bn) building a super-fast broadband network across the UK over the next four years. The plan The upgrade will provide speeds up to 60MB an those on a fibre-to-the-premises network will see speeds of up to 100 MB. “Broadband has boosted the UK economy and is now an essential part of our customers’ lives,” BT Chief Executive Ian Livingston said. “We now want to make a step-change in broadband provision which will offer faster speeds than ever before. This is a bold step by BT and we need others to be just as bold. We want to work with local and regional bodies to decide where and when we should focus the deployment. Our aim is that urban and rural areas alike will benefit from our investment”.

BT noted a supportive and enduring environment was “essential” for the investment, which adds around £1 billion to its existing expenditure plans for fibre deployment. This is a reference to Ofcom's recent reassurances about ';protecting' broadband investment, and Ofcom was effusive about the investment: “This is a clear sign that the UK market is moving in the right direction, with a growing number of plans to deliver super-fast broadband services to consumers. These new networks will be a critical part of the UK’s infrastructure and will change our experience of communications. They will support and deliver innovative applications and services as well as helping create new opportunities for businesses of all kinds,” said Ed Richards, Ofcom CEO.